voice
georgia VOLUME 13• ISSUE 16 About the cover:
Ivy Fischer photo via Twitter
FORCED POLITICIZATION AND THE INTERNET:
LET TRANS PEOPLE BE PEOPLE
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It works the other way, too. Blaire White and Caitlyn Jenner, two other trans women, consistently advocate against and distance themselves from the trans community in order to uphold their Republican ideals. People who have “detransitioned” are regularly used as transphobic fodder to liken transness to disorder, fad, or mistake. If you are connected to transness in any public way, you are doomed to a fate of forced politicization.
Katie Burkholder
Editorial
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EDITORIAL
Hot take: the internet is exhausting. Social media has turned everyone, no matter how many followers you have, into performers, personal brands to be maintained and molded into perceived perfection for others’ consumption. The internet is a space of extremism, vitriol, and policing — in short, the internet is capitalism on crack, distanced entirely from the material conditions of real-life humanity and yet replicating and amplifying to the nth degree the power structures we’re all subjected to. This has resulted in a digital world that is distancing us all from our humanity, especially those of us whose humanity is already denied by the state. There’s this small, super niche app called TikTok — I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it — where at any given moment you can see the power of internet toxicity at work. If you’ve never had TikTok downloaded on your phone, count your lucky stars that you have avoided the hellscape that is that app. I have not been so lucky; I have long since quit the app cold turkey, but when I was using it, I fell deep into an addiction, especially at the height of the pandemic. During my time there, Ve’ondre Mitchell came on my For You Page. She’s a young woman with more than six million followers who posts videos showing off outfits, doing dances, and sharing her experience being trans. In this particular video, Ve’ondre lip syncs to a sound of someone ordering a lot of food at a restaurant underneath the caption: “Trans girls when it’s that time of the month.” The video was accompanied by a caption clarifying that trans girls on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can experience the common symptoms of a menstrual cycle, like cramps and mood swings, without the bleeding. Despite the claims being correct,
PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / ANTLII
according to both a medically reviewed article on Medical News Today and anecdotal evidence detailed in a Medium post, cis women were not happy with Ve’ondre’s video. Her comments were filled with tens of thousands of angry people parroting J.K. Rowling-esque talking points, claiming Ve’ondre was invalidating cis women’s experience by likening it to her own and saying she had no idea how hard it was to be a (contextually understood) “real” woman — in short, transphobia masked as some weird bioessentialist form of feminism. A video of Dylan Mulvaney, another trans TikToker who makes videos detailing her Days of Girlhood, was recently ridiculed by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Twitter. The video was of Dylan wearing leather shorts and urging people to “normalize women having bulges sometimes,” an “absurdity” Sen. Blackburn says Dylan, President Joe Biden, and “radical left-wing lunatics” wish to normalize. These women, and other trans women just like them (because it’s not a coincidence they’re both women), have become objects of forced politicization. By simply being vocally trans on the internet, these people — real people with real feelings — have become right-wing scapegoats, political pawns, and victims of a monolithic understanding of transness.
While there is something inherently political about defying the gender socialization maintained by every facet of our society — as the gender binary is rooted in heteropatriarchy, capitalism, and white supremacy, ideologies that cannot be separated from one another — it’s important for us to recognize the humanity of trans people. This means letting trans people be trans — protecting them, advocating against discrepancies in health care and physical safety, and defending them both individually and as a community against transphobic attacks, whether physical or digital — but it also means letting trans people be people. There are distinct differences in experiences of oppression between cis and trans people, but these differences are socially constructed. At our cores, we are the same — we’re all people who experience love and hatred and joy and grief; we’re all victims of capitalistic gender policing; and we’re all capable of making mistakes, having conflicting opinions, and being controversial or even, dare I say, problematic. It is the very nature of being human; even if social media leads you to believe otherwise, none of us are characters crafted to be perfect representatives of our communities, informed by a clear political agenda to be consumed by the masses. We’re all just people, trying our best, and to expect otherwise of anyone, regardless of identity, is not only exhausting, but fruitless.
NOVEMBER 4, 2022 EDITORIAL 3
NEWS BRIEFS Staff reports Read these stories and more online at thegavoice.com
Leslie Jordan Dies in Hollywood Car Crash
Beloved out actor and comedian Leslie Jordan died in a single-car crash Monday morning in Hollywood after suffering an unspecified medical emergency, a Los Angeles Police Department source said. The news of his death was first broken by entertainment gossip news website TMZ. The 67-year-old saw a resurgence of fame with his viral and hilarious videos on social media during the lengthy coronavirus pandemic. Jordan was best known for his roles as Lonnie Garr in “Hearts Afire” (1993–1995), Beverly Leslie in “Will and Grace” (2001–2006, 2017–2020), and several characters in the American Horror Story franchise (2011–present). Jordan, an accomplished stage actor and playwright, was also devoted as an advocate for LGBTQ rights. Early in during AIDS crisis, Jordan, a Los Angeles resident, became involved in AIDS Project Los Angeles as a buddy and as a food delivery person for Project Angel Food, a non-profit founded during the HIV/AIDS pandemic which to this day prepares and delivers healthy meals to feed people impacted by serious illness. In statement to the Washington Blade after learning of Jordan’s death, Project Angel Food CEO Richard Ayoub said: “Leslie was more than just a supporter of Project Angel Food, he was family. When Leslie first moved to LA in the ’90s he wanted to help people with AIDS so he volunteered as a driver for Project Angel Food. Leslie presented Project Angel Food with the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce’s Creative Business Award in 2019 and was such a joy to be around. Our hearts ache.” Two years ago in a lengthy interview with Page Six, Jordan revealed he once hated himself for being gay. The star and social media phenom told Page Six that homophobia and self-loathing were planted deep inside him growing up in a churchgoing family in 1950s Tennessee.
4 NEWS NOVEMBER 4, 2022
Leslie Jordan PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK “If you’re born homosexual, it’s not a choice,” said Jordan, who has released a book of essays called “How Y’All Doing?” “I think for myself when you know something in your heart and you’re [told] that’s just wrong … I talk to a lot of my gay friends, and I say it’s a wonder we’re even alive!”
LGBTQ Candidates on the Ballot in All 50 States for First Time
The LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office, released its 2022 Out on the Trail report. This is the only annual report on the number and diversity of LGBTQ candidates who ran for office in 2022. At least 1,065 openly LGBTQ people ran or are running for offices with elections in 2022, the most in history. Of the 1,065 candidates, 678 will appear on the ballot in November, an 18.1 percent increase from 2020 when 574 candidates were on the November ballot.
ban books and censor LGBTQ kids and teachers, a record number of LGBTQ people ran for school board. When they introduced a historic number of anti-LGBTQ laws in state legislatures, LGBTQ people ran for state legislatures like never before. When they tried to stall federal pro-equality legislation, we ran for Congress like never before. This November, we have an opportunity to elect more LGBTQ people to office than ever before. But it’s going to take each and every one of us. Sitting on the sidelines isn’t an option when our rights are on the chopping block. This is a time for action. This is a time for unity.” Among the key findings: • For the first time in history, LGBTQ candidates ran in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. • A history-making 63.7 percent of known LGBTQ candidates won their primaries and will appear on the ballot in November, compared to 57.1 percent of candidates in 2020. • 416 LGBTQ people ran for state legislatures this year, the most in U.S. history.
LGBTQ Victory Fund President Annise Parker released the following statement:
• The proportion of LGBTQ candidates of color grew significantly in 2022, accounting for 38.2 percent of all LGBTQ candidates.
“Voters are sick and tired of the relentless attacks lobbed against the LGBTQ community this year. Bigots want us to stay home and stay quiet, but their attacks are backfiring and instead have motivated a new wave of LGBTQ leaders to run for office. When they tried to
• Candidates who are not cisgender (including transgender, nonbinary and gender non-conforming candidates) ran in record-breaking numbers, representing 13.9 percent of all LGBTQ candidates compared to 7.9 percent in 2020.
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NEWS
COVERAGE FOR GENDER-AFFIRMING SURGICAL CARE TO FINALLY BE INCLUDED UNDER GEORGIA MEDICAID “I think Black trans women in Georgia are facing intense stigmatization and transphobia, specifically trans misogynoir, which is the transphobia experienced by Black women.” — Nneka Ewulonu
Cynthia Salinas-Cappellano Due to a recent settlement with the ACLU of Georgia, the Georgia Department of Community Health must now remove its categorical exclusion of coverage for genderaffirming surgery under the State of Georgia’s Medicaid program. The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Georgia, and the local law firm King & Spalding, on behalf of plaintiffs Shon Thomas and Gwendolyn Cheney, two Black transwomen who were denied gender-affirming coverage. The ACLU reached these women through the affiliate’s National LGBTQ Project based in New York. Nneka Ewulonu, a staff attorney for the ACLU of Georgia who worked on the suit, spoke to Georgia Voice about the settlement’s timeline and what this means for the future of transgender Georgians’ health care. “The lawsuit was filed in June of 2021 with the Northern District of Georgia, a federal court, and settled in April of this year,” they said. “The settlement involves the Georgia Department of Community Health agreeing to remove the exclusion from gender-affirming surgery from the state Medicaid program and adopt benefits of clinical guidelines for the treatment of gender dysphoria.” Ewulonu is a civil rights attorney whose work includes LGBTQ rights, reproductive freedom, and First Amendment rights. This suit, they said, was a part of a decades-long battle for trans people on Medicaid in Georgia, with the exclusion of gender-affirming coverage hurting Black transwomen the most. “Our plaintiffs were two Black transwomen who were denied surgical care while on
6 NEWS NOVEMBER 4, 2022
Nneka Ewulonu, a staff attorney for the ACLU of Georgia. PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK Medicaid for years if not decades at this point,” Ewulonu said. “The categorical exclusion in Medicaid dates back to the early ’90s. It’s been a long time that transgender Georgians have been denied access to surgical care in Georgia under Medicaid. We were pursuing a class action on behalf of trans people in Georgia in general, however, we settled before those proceedings moved forward.” Ewulonu described the barriers to accessing care Black trans women in particular face in Georgia. “I think Black trans women in Georgia are facing intense stigmatization and transphobia, specifically trans misogynoir, which is the transphobia experienced by Black women,” they said. “Black women, whether cis or trans, experience a lot of racialized effects in their health care. When you add in transphobia and the general ignorance around gender identity and transgender issues that poses additional heightened risks and concerns for Black transgender women in Georgia who are trying to seek the health care they need.”
The settlement requires Medicaid coverage to include services and guidelines provided by other health care programs like Alliance Healthcare Solutions. This includes adopting medical guidelines for gender-affirming care such as breast augmentation, hysterectomies and orchiectomies. Patients can now discuss their options with their health care providers to receive the care they need. Providers and patients may obtain clinical guidelines for the treatment of gender dysphoria from Georgia Medicaid to learn about their eligibility criteria and the necessary documentation. Ewulonu’s goal is to produce more awareness and outreach regarding the settlement. “Fundamentally, trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming Georgians on Medicaid can now have surgical transition if they so desire,” they said. “You just need to talk to your health care providers. There are conditions that need to be met, but it is definitely a conversation that can and should be had if seeking to medically transition.” “It also shows discrimination against trans people is not okay,” Ewulonu continued. “It is not okay that Medicaid that would pay for the removal of breasts for cis women who are experiencing a breast cancer scare, but not pay for the removal of breasts for a transman experiencing gender dysphoria. The only reason for that differentiation is discrimination against transgender status and
that just can’t stand in an equitable society.” This win came at the same time Florida’s Medicaid agency moved to ban genderaffirming coverage back in June, although this is currently being contested. It is clear there is still a need for a holistic federal law to protect transgender people on the basis of sex. “In my opinion, I do think the patchwork of different states’ approach to Medicaid, gender-affirming care, and discrimination on the basis of sex applies to transgender people,” Ewulonu said. “I could see there being some sort of larger federal case down the line that tries to consolidate and streamline what is and is not discrimination, and hopefully when that happens, they agree this is discrimination on the basis of sex and trans status. Because what is in federal court has slightly more influence than it would in just Georgia state court. But that being said, I don’t think it’s going to be particularly influential in any other jurisdiction’s or state’s proceedings.” Ewulonu is also pursuing a case against the state’s six-week abortion ban. “Reproductive rights and reproductive freedom and justice are a big part of what the affiliate [ACLU of Georgia] is doing,” they said. They and Georgia ACLU are always seeking out other ways to make legal advancements for queer people in Georgia through their open intake system. Georgia Medicaid is now one of over 30 state Medicaid systems to provide genderaffirming health care. “The settlement is in effect,” Ewulonu said, “so if you’re transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming in Georgia and on Medicaid, you can and should start talking to your Medicaid providers.”
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NATIONAL NEWS
FLORIDA RULE WOULD EFFECTIVELY BAN GENDER AFFIRMING CARE FOR MINORS “They put all the speakers from out of state and out of the country who agreed with them first. When they ran out of people on their side, they cut off public comment from Floridians OPPOSED to the politicization of gender affirming care.”
Zachary Jarrell, Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association The Florida Board of Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Medicine Joint Rules/ Legislative Committee advanced a rule that would effectively ban gender-affirming care for minors in the state. The policy, which would likely block a minor’s access to puberty blockers, hormone therapies and surgeries — a rare intervention for transgender youth — will now head to the full the Board of Medicine and Board of Osteopathy for finalization and a vote. It came after the Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo in June asked the board to establish a standard for “complex and irreversible” gender-affirming care treatments. Ladapo recommended against certain pharmaceutical, non-pharmaceutical and surgical treatments for gender dysphoria. Puberty blockers, a form of gender-affirming care, are reversible. Major medical organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend gender-affirming care for trans and nonbinary youth. The group, in a statement, said it “strongly oppose[s] any legislation or regulation that would discriminate against gender-diverse individuals, including children and adolescents, or limit access to comprehensive evidencebased care which includes the provision of gender-affirming care.” Still, Ladapo called the scientific evidence supporting gender-affirming care “extraordinarily weak.” Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is likely to run for president in 2024, holds tremendous power over the board. Equality Florida, a statewide LGBTQ advocacy
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— Democrat Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith
Democrat Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK group, said the board was stacked with “right-wing extremists” and “subverted into weapons against LGBTQ Floridians.” During the meeting, the committee heard from scheduled presenters meant to act as experts on gender-affirming care and members of the public. Before the meeting, one of the experts, Dr. James Cantor, was quietly removed from the agenda after it was revealed that he advocated for pedophiles to be included under the LGBTQ umbrella, according to Media Matters. Oxford University sociology professor Michael Biggs, who did speak to the board, has posted transphobic tweets in the past, according to the Oxford Student, the college’s student newspaper.
LGBTQ activists and state representatives called into question the fairness of the speakers. According to Florida Planned Parenthood Action, two state representatives, Democrats Anna Eskamani and Carlos Smith, “begged” the board to let public comment continue. “It is totally unacceptable for a public Board to permit only speakers who agree with the board members’ position to testify, and then refuse to permit others from the public with a different perspective to speak,” tweeted Florida state Rep. Ben Diamond, a Democrat. After the board cut off public comment, the crowd began to chant: “Let them speak.” Smith called the meeting a “sham,” adding:
“They put all the speakers from out of state and out of the country who agreed with them first. When they ran out of people on their side, they cut off public comment from Floridians OPPOSED to the politicization of gender affirming care.” “Just disgusting,” tweeted Jack Petocz, a political strategist for Gen-Z for Change. The board also heard from several so-called “detransitioners” who spoke in favor of the rule. However, those who receive gender-affirming care rarely decide not to continue with treatment. A recent study published in “The Lancet” found that 98 percent of people who had started gender-affirming medical treatment in adolescence continued to use gender-affirming hormones at follow-up. “It needs to be repeated without end: gender-affirming care is lifesaving care,” said Equality Florida Transgender Equality Director Nikole Parker.
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POLITICAL NEWS
THE BIG LGBTQ RACES TO WATCH NOVEMBER 8 is always a nailbiter, including this year, as the two-term Democrat faces the same Republican opponent she beat by only two points last time. In the strangest of twists, just like during the 2020 race, a third-party candidate’s name is also on the ballot even though that person is dead. In 2020, the dead candidate won six percent of the vote (voters are not alerted if a listed candidate is deceased).
Lisa Keen Many political analysts will be watching the November 8 election returns to gauge the health of American democracy and see which political party will control the U.S. Senate and U.S. House. For LGBTQ news watchers, there are several specific contests Tuesday night that will both contribute to that overall political landscape and make important LGBTQ history. Here’s what to watch:
THREE GOVERNOR RACES
One of the more likely highlights of the evening will be the election, for the first time in U.S. history, of an openly lesbian candidate as governor of any state. (Bisexual Kate Brown was the first openly LGBTQ person to be elected governor when she won a special election bid in 2016; Jared Polis became the first gay man when he was elected governor of Colorado in 2018.) This year, in Massachusetts, State Attorney General Maura Healey, a popular Democrat in a deeply blue state, is expected to coast to victory over a Trump-backed Republican become Massachusetts’ next governor. In Oregon, where voters have rejected Republican candidates for governor for decades, Democrat Tina Kotek, former speaker of the house, polls about one percent behind a wellfunded Republican. Kotek has had to contend with a third-party candidate who appears to be drawing 10 to 15 points from voters who would otherwise vote Democratic. Meanwhile, in Colorado, Polis appears poised to win his second term as governor, with polls showing him with an 18-point lead or higher over his Republican challenger. Fivethirtyeight.com gives Healey and Polis a 99 percent chance for victory; Kotek a 49 percent chance.
U.S. HOUSE INCUMBENTS
Eight of nine incumbent LGBTQ candidates
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Jared Polis appears poised to win his second term as governor of Colorado. PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK in the U.S. House are running for re-election, and half have a cakewalk to the next term: Mark Pocan (Wisconsin 2nd), Mark Takano (California 41st), David Cicilline (Rhode Island 1st), and first-termer Richie Torres (New York 15th). The others have a tougher road to the finish line: Sean Patrick Maloney (New York-17th CD): Democrat Maloney is seeking his sixth term to represent a district in New York. But, because of redistricting, he had to choose whether to run in District 18, his original district, or District 17, where his home is located under the new map. The complication: District 17 was the district being represented by another openly gay representative, Mondaire Jones. Much to Jones’ chagrin, Maloney chose District 17. Now polls suggest Maloney’s race against Republican candidate, state Assemblyman Mike Lawler, is a toss-up. And Jones’ efforts to be on the 10th district ballot fell short. Angie Craig (Minnesota-2nd CD): Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional district race
Chris Pappas (New Hampshire-1st CD): Democrat Pappas, New Hampshire’s first openly gay member of Congress, is running for a third term in a congressional district that has been split evenly among Democrats, Republicans, and non-affiliated voters. After winning his first term by 8.6 points, he won the second term by 5.1 points. Now, former President Trump has promoted a Republican challenger, Karoline Leavitt, and fivethirtyeight.com’s analysis of the polls as of October 28 suggest Pappas has a 4.8 point lead. RealClearPolitics.com says it leans Republican. Leavitt has spoken out against trans women athletes and self-accepted pronouns, and she would support Floridalike “Don’t Say Gay” legislation. Sharice Davids (Kansas-3rd CD): Democrat Davids is facing her 2020 challenger and a more Republican-leaning district this year, thanks to redistricting. The latest polling indicates Davids has a strong lead (14 points), suggesting that abortion may be more of a factor there. Kansas voters in August overwhelming rejected an effort to give the state legislature power to ban all abortions in the state. Davids supports the right of women to obtain an abortion; her Republican opponent Amanda Adkins says she’s “pro-life” but thinks the issue should be decided at the state level, not federal government.
U.S. HOUSE CHALLENGERS
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund is supporting eight new candidates for Congress this year: Becca Balint (Vermont-At-Large CD): Democrat Balint, president pro tem of the
Vermont Senate, is making her first bid for the state’s one U.S. House seat and is expected to win easily against Republican Liam Madden. Eric Sorenson (Illinois 17th CD): Democrat Sorenson is given a slight odds to win this open seat previously won by a Democrat by a narrow margin. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara (North Carolina 11th CD): Democrat Beach-Ferrara is a county commissioner, ordained minister, and LGBTQ activist in the state. She’s vying for an open seat vacated by a Democrat near the more progressive Asheville area. Robert Garcia (California 42nd CD): Long Beach Democratic Mayor Garcia is hoping to win a new congressional seat in that state. Fivethirtyeight predicts he is “very likely” to win. Will Rollins (California 41st CD): Democrat Rollins is a former prosecutor who has worked on cases against some of the January 6 insurrectionists. He’s running against an anti-gay incumbent who has a zero score on LGBTQ votes in Congress. Jamie McLeod-Skinner (Oregon 5th CD): Democrat McLeod-Skinner has a fighting chance to win her first bid for Congress. Fivethirtyeight says the education, health, and clean water activist is in a “dead heat” with her Republican opponent. She’s also won the endorsement of the state’s biggest newspaper, The Oregonian. Heather Mizeur (Maryland 1st CD): Democrat Mizeur, a former state legislator, is given very little chance of unseating the pro-Trump incumbent in her district, despite her impressive campaign for governor eight years ago. Robert Zimmerman (New York 3rd CD): Democrat Zimmerman has a decent chance to win his bid for this open seat, previously held by a Democrat. He’s a former aide to members of Congress and political commentator.
NOVEMBER 4, 2022 NEWS 9
ONE ON ONE
LIAM KALI & YEMI COMBAHEE ON QUEER AND TRANS CONCEPTION Katie Burkholder On November 16, Charis Books and More will be virtually hosting a conversation between Seattle-based licensed midwife and owner of MAIA Midwifery and Fertility Services Liam Kali and Atlanta-based fullspectrum doula and reproductive justice organizer Yemi Combahee on Kali’s book “Queer Conception: The Complete Fertility Guide for Queer and Trans Parents-To-Be.” Ahead of their conversation, Kali and Combahee spoke with Georgia Voice about the book, what the audience can expect from their conversation, and trans inclusion and body positivity in the world of conception. Quotes have been edited for clarity. Read the full interview online at thegavoice.com. Talk to me about “Queer Conception.” LK: The book is a midwife in paperback. It is designed so that anyone who is considering pregnancy as a queer or trans person who, specifically, may need assisted conception, but it also speaks to those of us who sometimes don’t need assisted conception to conceive, from laying out a timeline, making initial decision making, to donor selection, lab work, preconception health, insemination methods and timing, coping with cycles of trying to conceive. There’s a chapter on IVF, one on surrogacy, and the last chapter of the book, I did want to include some information on early pregnancy. YC: I connected with Liam when they were still
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writing the book and was able to do an early inclusivity read of the book. That was a really great process of reading through to make sure it touched on different people’s circumstances, that it was inclusive of Black and Brown folks [and] folks living in the South, especially in a state like Georgia where resources are not as plentiful as in a place like Seattle. To shift to your upcoming conversation, what topics are y’all going to cover? YC: I definitely envision us talking a lot about what community-based birth work looks like in the queer community — communities, plural — and how that is universal in some ways in the work both of us do, but also how they differ and how we have to adjust for the different communities we serve. I’m hoping the folks that attend can see themselves in the experiences that we’re going to talk about. You mentioned this concept of inclusivity. The book is lauded as the first fertility guide to be trans-inclusive. Can you talk about how trans people are included in this guide and what trans-specific barriers, issues, or topics regarding fertility are addressed? LK: Number one, it’s written with inclusive language. The whole book is written in a way that is inclusive and affirming of gender, regardless of what a person’s gender is. That in itself is pretty revolutionary. Trans people aren’t going to have to wade through an endless sea of misgendering in order to get the information that’s needed. I do include information about how hormonal transition can impact your fertility and what can be expected if you’re
trying to regain your fertile function after hormonal transition. Additionally, I included in the lactation induction section lactation for every [kind of] body. YC: Liam, you do such a great job at being gender inclusive not just for the sake of gender inclusivity but also honoring the lived experiences of queer folks at large. Even when you talk about nutrition and how to feed your body to prepare for a pregnancy, you’re sensitive to the fact that a lot of us live in storied bodies that have been marked by fatphobia and eating disorders. You’re sensitive to the fact that this journey does not have to be at the expense of your mental health and your recovery. It’s not just about if you take hormones or not, it’s about your relationship to your body and your relationship to your community. Speaking of body positivity, can you discuss the importance of body positivity — or rather the lack of body positivity in traditional medical spaces? LK: Body mass index is a thing that is very easy to measure, so it gets included in a lot of studies related to health because it’s so easy to track, and therefore makes such an easy scapegoat. What that leaves out is the wholeness of who a person is. To simply tell somebody, “Oh, if you lose ten percent of your body weight, your chances for pregnancy go up” – yep, that’s a study that was produced, I probably even name that in that book. I’m not trying to say none of that matters; yeah, there’s a study that says that, and you’re a whole person.
YC: That in and of itself is revolutionary in a conception book, and it’s also why I think folks who might not identify as queer can also benefit from this viewpoint. If more pregnant people, queer or not, saw themselves and were able to see themselves through their pregnancies as whole people deserving of physical, mental, and communal health, and we as a society supported that, imagine what our reproductive system could look like. What advice would you give to people who are hesitant to embrace parenthood because of all the systemic barriers that may be in their way? LK: You are beautiful, you are valid. The more you step into yourself and everything that you are, the more that you have to give to your child. Your decision to have a child and become a parent is totally human and something you get to choose, too. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. You get to have this. You get to have a good life, regardless of what anyone else says. YC: You’re not the first, you won’t be the last, and you are part of a legacy of queer families that has existed always. That’s really empowering to know that queer folks have been making babies since people were on this planet. Just because we have these systems that try to box us in, that are effective at traumatizing us and making us feel less than, it’s the systems that are invalid, not us. Register for Kali and Combahee’s conversation at crowdcast.io/e/queer-conception-the/register.
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NOVEMBER 4, 2022 ADS 11
COMMUNITY
Ivy Fischer: THE IT GIRL YOU NEED TO KNOW Divine Ikpe If you don’t know Ivy Fischer, you need to. The 24-year-old multimedia artist based in Atlanta is known for being “That Girl.” She has always been a lover of all things creative; her writing has been featured in The Huffington Post and “them,” and she has been featured in Vogue. She’s a classically trained musician and has performed in a few theater productions in the past, but she’s most commonly known for bopping around the city turning up parties and showing people a good time through her performance art and event promotion. From being a dancer to doing burlesque and drag, she has been performing professionally for the past five years with a bold, contemporary style. Her biggest performance yet was at this past Atlanta Pride, the first one since the start of the pandemic. Her performances draw inspiration from ’60s and ’70s showgirls and burlesque dancers like Lola Falana, Ajita Wilson, and Cristina Ortiz Rodríguez (La Veneno). But Fischer also gets inspired by everything around her: a walk in the park, the city life, her friends and their respective art. Ivy’s shows can be best described as “inviting, alluring, sensual, and polished.” One recurring creative partner is Savana Ogburn, a photographer,
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“Ivy has performed all over the country and the world, but she thinks Atlanta’s party scene is unique and one of the best.” collage artist and videographer (originally from Georgia) whom she met during their freshman year at SCAD. In the past, they’ve collaborated on multiple photo shoots and video projects. She often will perform to alternative music, funk, R&B, jazz, and music that her friends make and loves when audience members come up to her afterward and ask, “What song was that?” Ivy has performed all over the country and the world, but she thinks Atlanta’s party scene is unique and one of the best. Although it’s exciting to check out the queer scenes in other places like Spain, Chicago, LA and NYC, Atlanta is her favorite. She says the city stands out in a number of ways, but the main one is in its diversity. Not just general diversity, but diversity among Black people as well.
Ivy Fischer COURTESY PHOTO She believes the community of Black artists is what’s holding the Atlanta scene together and keeping it fresh and vibrant. There are so many Black creatives she comes across in the city who inspire her every day that she says, “just really are the tea!” and that, “everyone is really on their shit, doing the damn thing.” Ivy’s dream would be if all the Black creatives in the city made one big project together. Some tips from Ivy for anyone who is thinking about pursuing burlesque or drag performance: Be who you are when you’re alone when you’re on stage. When you’re alone in your room dancing in the mirror. Feed into your confidence, your body, your aura. Always remain humble and kind. Make sure you smell good. Make sure you’re always aware of your surroundings. Being a Black woman in this industry can be very precarious.
Ivy said it can be difficult at times to interact with people who are so enamored with you that they immediately fetishize and sexualize you and don’t see you as a real person. That’s why it’s especially important to have a good support system around you, people you feel comfortable and safe with. It helps you navigate the nightlife space in a much safer manner.
WHERE CAN YOU FIND HER?
Chapel Beauty is a recurring show that Ivy does once a month along with Miss He (@ misshethequeen) and Minty (@minty_atl), which is a great opportunity to see her perform. She posts about all her performances on her Instagram (@ivanalysette) and is available to book for shows, parties, and private events through her business email as well (hello@ivfischer.com). Ivy has some exciting articles coming out soon, so be on the lookout for those!
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MAKING WAY FOR CHANGE: A TRANS MAN’S EXPERIENCE AT A HISTORICALLY WOMEN’S COLLEGE “Overall, I had a pretty good time. I was shocked by how welcoming the campus as a whole is. While there are some interpersonal and institutional things that can be fixed, I think that overall I had a good time.”
Sukainah Abid-Kons “Despite it [being a historically women’s college], I felt comfortable exploring my gender.” When higher education started in the United States, all schools were divided into either men’s or women’s colleges. An institution didn’t award a bachelor’s degree to a woman until 1831, and for many decades after that, many schools weren’t co-ed simply because many thought it to be inappropriate. Gender segregating schools started as a way to allow women in the US to receive an education in what was considered a “safe” environment, and while the education could be of significantly lower quality, these institutions provided women with a place to receive their education until 1972 (when co-education became mandatory in US public schools). Almost 200 years after the first women’s college in America — Wesleyan, which is here in Georgia — opened its doors in 1836, there are still almost 30 schools in the US that are active women’s colleges (intentionally not co-ed), and many more that identify as “historically women’s colleges” (HWC), meaning that students who don’t identify as women are allowed to attend, it’s just more likely that the majority of the student population will be students who identify as women. Many students choose to attend these schools because they offer safer spaces to women; without as many men on campus, every situation from a classroom discussion to an on-campus party can feel safer. But what is the HWC experience like for students who don’t identify as women? In a conversation with a trans masculine student, who requested anonymity and will be referred to with the pseudonym Robert, Georgia Voice got an inside look into the experience of being a trans man who attends
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Agnes Scott College, Decatur IMAGE BY BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY; LICENSED UNDER CC BY 2.0. a historically women’s college. “Overall, I had a pretty good time,” Robert said about his undergraduate experience at Agnes Scott College, an HWC near Atlanta. “I was shocked by how welcoming the campus as a whole is. While there are some interpersonal and institutional things that can be fixed, I think that overall I had a good time.” Robert, who didn’t yet know he was trans when he enrolled at Agnes Scott, said that the welcoming environment and progressive campus ideals — such as sharing pronouns as part of introductions, in emails, and on name tags — created a space where he was felt more comfortable exploring and expressing his gender identity during his time there. Upon seeing that the school was an HWC, Robert said that his initial reaction was to “scroll past” the school during his search for possible undergrad institutions, but the school’s reputation for being progressive and welcoming towards trans students piqued his interest.
Robert says that while HWC’s are becoming more welcoming to trans students overall, the environment that he experienced at Agnes Scott College could act as a model for other HWCs as they create campuses that are inclusive to students of all gender identities. Robert does also acknowledge that there are institutional changes that can be made to make the school more inclusive. One example he offered was in regard to his experience in the campus chorus. The pieces picked for the choir have historically only included alto and soprano parts, which are within the vocal range of the typical cisgender woman. Robert said that he did find that isolating at times, having experiences with having to find or even write his own parts to fit his lower-pitched voice. “I oftentimes felt that I was either the center of attention or an afterthought,” he said. While his professors tried to find ways to make the environment more welcoming, he said that campus activities that have been catered only towards cisgender and women-identifying
— Robert, about his undergraduate experience at Agnes Scott College, an HWC near Atlanta students for decades have institutional structures that need to be addressed to make them more inclusive towards trans-masculine students in particular. Robert also noted that he can only reflect on his experience and that his feelings towards his college years may not be shared by all trans students at Agnes Scott or other HWCs. That being said, he said that he is grateful for his undergraduate experience and that some of the issues or negative experiences he had at the school had nothing to do with his gender identity. Robert said that after he came out, not only did he still feel welcomed on campus and as part of the student body — he had previously worried about being asked to leave the school — he said that the school also offered him resources on finding hormone therapy to begin his transition. “I could not imagine my gender experience anywhere else.”
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THE ‘SAFE’ ACT IS VERY, VERY DANGEROUS Adalei Stevens Arkansas’ House Bill 1570, or the “Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act,” outlawed genderaffirming surgery and “cross-sex” hormone therapy for individuals under 18. At the time of writing, the law is undergoing a two-week federal trial, which began in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas on Monday, October 17. The results of this trial will “determine the trajectory of challenges to similar policies going forward,” according to TIME Magazine. District court issued a preliminary injunction, which prevented the law from going into effect, in July 2021. This bill is the first of its kind to ban gender-affirming care. However, 22 other states have followed suit. The American Medical Association (AMA), founded in 1847, is the largest association of physicians, functioning as an ally to patient care and promoting “the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health.” As of 2016, the AMA has over 240,000 members. Regarding genderaffirming care for minors, the AMA asked state governors to oppose state legislation, like Act 626 of 2021 in Arkansas, “that would prohibit medically necessary gender transition-related care for minor patients.” The American Academy of Pediatrics, founded in 1930, boasts 67,000 members in primary pediatric care and subspecialist areas. The AAP should not be confused with
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the socially conservative advocacy group, the American College of Pediatrics, founded in 2002 and with an estimated 500 members. The AAP also spoke against “legislation or regulation that would discriminate against gender-diverse individuals, including children and adolescents, or limit access to comprehensive, evidence-based care,” including gender-affirming care. The AAP also stated that “any discrimination based on gender identity … is damaging to the socioemotional health of children and
families as evidenced by [an] increased risk of suicide in this population.” The Endocrine Society, the world’s largest and oldest organization devoted to hormone research, which is made up of 18,000+ endocrine investigators and clinicians from more than 100 countries, states in its guidelines for gender dysphoria/gender incongruence resources that children and adolescents seeking gender dysphoria (GD) mental health professionals should
only evaluate diagnoses with training in “child and adolescent developmental psychology and psychopathology ... the ability to psychosocially assess the person’s understanding and social conditions that can impact gender-affirming hormone therapy … and knowledge of the criteria for puberty blocking and gender-affirming hormone treatment in adolescents.” For adults and adolescents, fertility preservation
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OUTSPOKEN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 is recommended before hormonal therapy and recommended before puberty suppression in adolescents. The Endocrine Society also advised against puberty-blocking and gender-affirming hormone treatment in prepubescent children because hormone treatment is “a partly irreversible treatment.” Adolescents under 16 should be treated by “an expert multidisciplinary team of medical and [mental health professionals].” Gender-affirmative care is not limited to hormone therapy. Still, it always includes psychological and psychosocial evaluation of patients, regardless of age, to provide them with comprehensive physical and mental care that reduces the risk of suicide and/ or damage to socioemotional health. The number of experts, physicians, mental health professionals, pediatricians, and endocrinologists who have studied and continue to study gender-affirmative care and hormone therapy and evaluated diagnostic criteria in the most accredited institutions this country (and the world) have to offer is far greater than the number of American teens who identify as trans. According to a study released in 2019 by the CDC, less than two percent of teens in the U.S. (publicly) identify as trans, which equates to around 300,000 individuals. Yet, former Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge swears that there are experts who know better. In an interview with Jon Stewart, the candidate for Lt. Governor could not name organizations “off the top of her head” supporting legislation that denies genderaffirmative care to minors. Stewart sat with former Attorney General Rutledge to discuss the bill’s blatant disregard for human rights for his show, “The Problem with Jon Stewart.” In a viral excerpt, Rutledge fumbles question after question, conflates hormone therapy and gender-affirming care, and makes up percentages to push her and the Republican Party’s agenda. Rutledge is the first woman and the first Republican to be elected Attorney General of Arkansas. As an Arkansas lawyer, Rutledge practiced administrative, state, local, and election law. Nowhere in her background
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Jon Stewart (l) talks with former Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge in an episode of ‘The Problem with Jon Stewart.’ SCREENSHOTS does she have experience in pediatric or endocrine medicine or medical law. In fact, only two of the 46 representatives who drafted the bill hold medical degrees: Rep. Joe Cloud (R) and Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R). None of the senators who drafted the bill hold degrees in medicine. The SAFE Act outlawed gender reassignment surgery and “cross-sex” hormone therapy for individuals under 18 in the state of Arkansas. The only medical organization cited in Act 626 of 2021 is the American Psychiatric Association, which provides percentages of natal adult males and females that experience “distress at identifying with their biological sex.” One individual, Chris Attig (parent of a trans son, attorney, and former U.S. Army captain), was arrested on March 9 for exceeding the two-minute allotment for testimony regarding HB1570. Attig was removed and subsequently arrested for exceeding the time limit by 30 seconds. Attig told “them,” an LGBTQ publication, “It was just shocking sitting there in jail thinking that this is what happens when you speak to people about how their proposed laws are affecting your children … They
don’t want to hear it. They put you in jail.” According to “them,” only opponents of the bill had limits on time for testimony. Rightwing groups supporting the bill were allowed to speak for upward of 40 minutes. Legislation that disregards longstanding, accredited associations and organizations to push ideas and standards that are outdated and illegal to enforce is not reliable. A system of government that can allow such legislation to get so far should be dismantled. Now, thanks to such a government that let the SAFE Act get this far, bills like HB1749, which would let teachers misgender and deadname students, and HB1882, which would give someone grounds to sue if they happen to share a restroom with a transgender person, exist. These bills are only in Arkansas and do not include the other 22 states that have drafted similar legislation. This legislation is anti-LGBTQ, specifically antitrans, and reinforces transphobia and homophobia in the U.S. This will violate the Fourteenth Amendment and be responsible for ending the lives of many who seek gender-affirmative care and safety for all LGBTQ adults and adolescents. Regardless of belief, it is the duty and responsibility of
legislators to protect all people, especially children, and the failure to do so is a failure of the system. For decades, conservatives have placated Americans with ideas of a less intrusive government, family values, and fiscal security. Still, they have failed, for decades, to follow through on any of those promises and even intrude more than any other political group. Where do we draw the line as far as government intrusion is concerned? It doesn’t seem to stop in the bedroom for same-sex couples; it doesn’t stop for the female reproductive system; it doesn’t stop for children seeking lifesaving, genderaffirming care, so what is off-limits? Guns. Insentient fetuses. Insider trading. Systemic issues abound; the SAFE Act is one example of the unreliable system of American democracy, but the trial’s outcome will determine if the lives and safety of LGBTQ people are protected. It’s hard not to be disappointed by the idea that the fated well-being of over one million transgender individuals and 30 million LGBTQ people hinges on the debate over whether or not violating the Fourteenth Amendment is lawful.
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REELING IN THE YEARS MARÍA HELENA DOLAN
OVER, UNDER AND IN BETWEEN:
THE WORLD’S FIRST QUEER RIGHTS MOVEMENT María Helena Dolan Doing research on “Stonewall 50” (2019), I found nation after nation focused on that little bar at 53 Christopher Street in Greenwich Village. Germany, for instance, had many pages listing marches and queer cultural expressions, from the tiniest hamlets to the largest cities. Each event was prefaced by the letters “CSD.” Surely, I thought, that meant “something something Deutschland.” But no: “Christopher Street Day.” Yet Germany was home to the planet’s first and quite amazing queer rights movement. Hey — the word “homosexuelle” entered the world in 1868 via Karl Heinrich Ulrich, Germany’s first openly queer activist. And in the decades that followed, there was much agitation for the removal of laws and social constraints. One of the greatest, most persistent and visionary activists was the venerable sexologist Dr. Magnus Hirschfield. He coined the term “transvestite,” applied to gender nonconformists (who might also dress as the “opposite” sex). In 1897, he gave the world the Wissenschaftlich-humanitäres Komitee (WhK) or, Scientific Humanitarian Committee. W-hK’s slogan? Justitia per Scientiam: Justice Through Science.
looming figures like Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, and Leo Tolstoy. In 1929, repeal passage lay with a Reichstag (People’s Congress) Committee. The rise of the Nazi Party doomed it. Meanwhile, Germany’s wide-open queer social ferment dazzled one Henry Gerber (1893–1972) and made him believe America was ripe for such things. Henry was born in 1893 in Bavaria. He emigrated to Chicago in 1913, as it had a large German population. When the U.S. entered the World War in 1917, Henry had a choice: be interned as an enemy alien or join the Army. He joined and worked as printer, proofreader and translator while stationed in the Rhineland. Upon his stateside return, Henry founded the Society for Human Rights. To obtain a charter as a nonprofit group, Henry kept group goals purposely vague and Constitutional-sounding. Illinois said “yes” in December 1924, making SHR the oldest documented queer group in the U.S. Gay African American clergyman John T. Graves signed on as SHR’s first president. Membership was restricted to gay men; bisexuals could be a liability. However, SHR vice president Al Weininger was in fact married, with children, and his wife reported SHR “degenerates” to a social worker in 1925.
It was W-hK that tried to overturn Paragraph 175, the law forbidding “coitus-like acts” between men.
The subsequent police raid included a reporter from the Chicago Examiner, who would describe the arrests of Henry and Weininger with the headline “Strange Sex Cult Exposed.”
Abolition
Despite three trials, charges against Henry
received
endorsements
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from
Henry Gerber (1893–1972) HISTORICAL PHOTO were eventually dropped. But he lost his apartment and his typewriter. His defense costs, including bribes paid, killed his life savings. That cushy post office job? Gone, for “conduct unbecoming a postal worker.” One positive outcome: a young labor activist named Harry Hay heard about SHR through a man who’d been a lover of an SHR officer. Harry went on to establish Mattachine. Unfortunately, Anthony Comstock, a rabid anti-sex New England Congregationalist zealot, got Congress to pass his self-penned “Act for the Suppression of Trade in, and Circulation of, obscene Literature and Articles of immoral Use.” (i.e. Comstock Act). Among many things, the Act forbids any information “for preventing conception or producing an abortion” (this was in 1873). His law victimized tens of thousands of people, especially young people, who ended up penniless, jailed, with no family to return to. Sex educators, women needing abortion services, and people trying to provide assistance were beleaguered to the point of desolation and even suicide. In fact,
Comstock said with great pride that he had driven 15 people to suicide. The unbelievable thing here is not only that the constitutionality of this act has been upheld … but it remains on the books today. It forbids use of the mails to distribute “obscene” material and anything “which is advertised or described in a manner calculated to lead another to … produce abortions.” According to Sandra Rierson (Encyclopedia. com) in 1996, as part of the omnibus Telecommunications Decency Act, the brimstone-stoking Rep. Henry Hyde (RIL) led the act’s amendment: anyone who “knowingly uses” an “interactive computer service” to obtain anything “designed, adapted, or intended for producing abortion” or any “advertisement” or other notice indicating the means by which an abortive device may be obtained, is guilty of violating the act. As a postal worker, Henry saw too frequently the omnipresent danger of the Comstock Act. And history tends to repetition.
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THE FRENCH CONNECTION BUCK JONES
YOU WEIRDO! Buck Jones Few things are more boring than something who is completely average. Exhibiting nothing more than mediocrity doesn’t get you very far in life after grade school, yet I grant you there is a profound survival instinct to just belonging and not getting beaten up by adhering to the norm. Being called a “weirdo” in fifth grade isn’t a badge of honor. But those of us in the LGBTQ family should reconsider the powerful attraction that exists in being outside the statistical outliers, in being weird. As a community we might be small in number, representing less than 10 percent of the overall population, but we sure do punch above our weight, and the case can be made that in certain things we are dominant. Take the creative arts, for
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example. A “weirdo” in elementary school blossoms as an adult into an artist, a writer, a designer, a musician, an actor. In real life, think of those we are drawn to in our private spheres, of our closest friends. What makes someone interesting, if not their quirky weirdness? My best friends have always had good hearts, a kindness toward others that is manifests in a multitude of ways throughout any given day. So, that’s the baseline. But what makes them interesting as people are their personalities that reveal a certain uniqueness. As someone who has a real fascination with architecture, let me put it in terms of urban landscape. Most people I find are like strip malls; they’re perfectly functional, utilitarian even, but there’s nothing truly remarkable about them. But then one finds a lovely art deco building in an older neighborhood, and wow, now that is something to behold!
PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / FELIX MIZIOZNIKOV
I have a good friend who loves Broadway. She is a fanatic and goes to see pretty much any production she can get her gin and tonicscented hands on. Where this fascination came from, I have no idea. We’re the same age and grew up in rural South Carolina, so the only dramas or musicals we were exposed to as kids were what was playing on network television. Oh, and she has the uncanny ability to quote from ’70s and ’80s commercials. Weirdo. But it is always a riot when we’re together. Another friend of mine loves to travel — the more exotic the location, the better. Returning from his voyages is always a wonderful excuse to get together for drinks to hear about his impressions of Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, or Laos. If we can find a restaurant that offers the destination’s local cuisine, all the better. Coupled with the travel bug, however, is an interest in stamp collecting, so he’ll always send me a postcard with a stamp from his adventures. Weirdo.
What about the friend who loves listening to podcasts, particularly about the paranormal and UFOs? Weirdo. But he’s super-intelligent and always has a different way of looking at the world. Then there is the friend who creates beautiful pottery and is an amazing chef. Was probably viewed as a geek in school, but today her weirdness is what makes us all love her. As for me, I’m definitely a weirdo. I love to write, to travel, to go to the gym and lose myself listening to INXS and Pet Shop Boys on my 1980s playlist. And of course, I live in Paris, which makes me even more of a weirdo. Hopefully some combination of all of this makes me interesting as a friend. So, embrace that inner geek, that fascination that has become a private passion. It is what gives you vibrancy and the inner glow of attraction. You weirdo.
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BERNARDO LOUVEAU THE GAYLY DOSE
FIVE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD GET INVOLVED IN THE FIGHT FOR TRANSGENDER RIGHTS HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Bernardo Louveau, Co-Host Member, The Gayly Dose
You can help support the fight for transgender rights in many ways. Here are a few ideas:
Transgender rights have been a topic of conversation for quite some time. From discriminatory bathroom bills and athletic policies to workplace discrimination and violence, transgender people face struggles not faced by others in the LGBTQ community.
1. Educate yourself and others about transgender issues. 2. Speak out against discrimination and violence against transgender people. 3. Show your support for transgender rights in your everyday life.
Society has established an antiquated system of gender classification, a system of qualifications for what makes someone male or female. Society established these rules long before we learned more about gender identity, and they don’t match the reality of gender as we know it today.
4. Stand up for transgender people when you see them mistreated. 5. Donate to organizations working to support transgender rights, like the Trans Housing Atlanta Program, TRANScending Barriers, and Trans(forming).
So, what is the reality? Gender is much more fluid than a binary classification based on a person’s anatomy. People don’t fit into the tiny boxes that have been reinforced as “the norm” throughout history. There is a difference between gender (social construct) and sex (biology). For transgender people, having the right to a sex that aligns with their gender identity is also essential. Until society can accept this as a fundamental right, the fight for transgender equality will persist.
6. Get out and vote for individuals who believe gender identity is a basic human right. Election Day is November 8! By getting involved in the fight for transgender rights, you can help make a difference in the lives of transgender people all over the world.
WHY SHOULD YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE FIGHT FOR TRANSGENDER RIGHTS? 1. Because everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Unfortunately, transgender individuals often face discrimination and even violence simply for being who they are. 2. Because transgender rights are human rights. All human beings deserve to have their fundamental rights respected, regardless of gender identity. Unfortunately, transgender individuals often do not enjoy the same rights as others. 3. Because transgender individuals are just
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Now, go forth and join the fight for transgender rights!
Bernardo Louveau PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GAYLY DOSE like everyone else. Transgender people have the same hopes, dreams, and fears as anyone of any gender. They should be treated with the same respect and dignity as anyone else. 4. Because visibility is important. The more visible transgender people are, the more accepted they will become. Visibility requires everyone to come together and demand
space for trans people in television, movies, music, positions of power, and elsewhere. 5. Because you can make a difference. No matter how big or small, every contribution to the fight for transgender rights makes a difference. You can help create a world where transgender individuals are treated with respect and dignity. You can be the change that you want to see in the world
Bernardo joins season three as a co-host and is a new member of The Gayly Dose, an Atlanta-based podcast that elicits vulnerable and honest dialogue about everyday and taboo topics that LGBTQ people aren’t having with each other … but should. Purposefully candid and brutally honest, the cast speaks on a range of topics including gender norms, monogamy, body issues, coming out, dating apps, lesbian breakups, and growing up gay in the church. Listen and watch the brand-new season three You. Are. Valuable. at thegaylydose. com @thegaylydosepod
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NOVEMBER 4, 2022 ADS 19
ACTING OUT JIM FARMER
DESPITE CAST, ‘MY POLICEMAN’ DISAPPOINTS, WHILE ‘TANYA TUCKER’ IS A MOVING DOCUMENTARY Jim Farmer One of the big-buzz projects of the year before its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival was “My Policeman,” one of 2022’s more prominent LGBTQ titles. Despite some big names in its cast, however, it’s a hefty disappointment. The prestige seeped out of this one the moment audiences began seeing this lethargic work. It’s based on the book by Bethan Roberts and follows three characters who meet in 1950s Britain. Tom (Harry Styles) is a policeman who meets Marion (Emma Corrin), a teacher who falls for him. Tom likes to bring along museum curator Patrick (out actor David Dawson) on their dates and soon all three are hanging out together. As it turns out, Tom and Patrick have started a relationship that they have to keep hidden. Things do not end well, with something of a twist, and 40 years later this trio (now played by Rupert Everett as Patrick, Gina McKee as Marion and Linus Roache as Tom) are brought together again. As directed by Michael Grandage, this is an
‘My Policeman’
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ambitious, epic tale of regret and unrequited love. The screenplay has been adapted by Academy Award nominee Ron Nyswaner. “My Policeman” does do an effective job of showing what life was like in the ’50s for gay men, having to constantly be aware of their surroundings and every glance they make. Yet this is a period piece with little at its center, despite some beautiful scenery/ cinematography. It’s also very slow-moving. Much has been made about the nudity and sex scenes between the two men, yet there’s not much passion between Styles and Dawson and this is often a joyless, dire watch. A few moments of suspense surface as to when Marion will find out the truth, but the ’90s sequences are flat, with Roache disappearing for most of the film until the end. One of the modern-day characters looks at a gay couple with ruefulness — it’s one of the few moments that really stick. The last five minutes do pack a punch, but it’s just not worth the wait. She is iconic in the music industry, having recorded “Delta Dawn” at the age of 13 and amassing a body of popular singles and albums. Now, after years away, Tanya Tucker
‘The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile’ PUBLICITY PHOTOS is attempting a comeback of sorts, instigated by Brandi Carlile. In “The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile,” the beloved out artist Carlile writes an album for her hero Tucker, hoping she will record it and finally get more of the respect she deserves. Carlile proves to be Tucker’s biggest fan and some of the more satisfying moments here have her listening to Tucker and hearing her idol perform. After they work together awhile, Carlile is hopeful of success, but also wonders to her team if Tucker is indeed ready for the limelight again. There is very little lesbian content here, although Carlile is omnipresent in the film and at one point introduces her wife to her icon. It’s a tremendously engaging film, however. Tucker herself is a wonderful center. The documentary doesn’t dig deep into her wild side, but it does present her as
a complex woman, dealing with some of her issues and trying to get it all together for this collaboration. Directed by Kathlyn Horan, “The Return of Tanya Tucker” is balanced efficiently between modern-day moments and looks at her early life, which included a relationship with Glen Campbell. The story of how teenage girl Tucker turned down the opportunity, “The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA” for the more adult-natured “Delta Dawn” is also quite intriguing. There’s also a happy ending — the two central performers win a couple of Grammy awards together. After multiple nominations, it’s Tanya Tucker’s first triumphs at the event. “My Policeman and “The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile” are now playing in area theaters. “My Policeman” debuts on Prime Video November 4
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NOVEMBER 4, 2022 ADS 21
BEST BETS THE BEST LGBTQ EVENTS HAPPENING IN NOVEMBER Jim Farmer
queer-conception-the/register
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18
The Atlanta Eagle Cabaret presents House of Love with host Myah Ross Monroe. 9pm, upstairs at The Atlanta Eagle
Fashionable and fierce, the ladies of the smash-hit comedy series “Designing Women” are now live onstage in this hilarious and timely new comedy set in Atlanta in fall 2020, “Designing Women – 2020: The Big Split.” Presidents and pandemics are the hot conversation points, and Julia and her partners at Sugarbaker’s interior design firm are now tackling 21st century challenges with wit, pluck, and style. The house of Sugarbaker may be divided this election season, but these Southern, smart, and sassy designing women prove that nothing truly unites us like laughter. 8pm, with an open-ended run, Horizon Theatre
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5 Out Front Theatre Company presents the musical “Kinky Boots,” with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and book by Harvey Fierstein. Charlie Price has reluctantly inherited his father’s shoe factory, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Trying to live up to his father’s legacy and save his family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos. As they work to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair find that they have more in common than they realized … and discover that when you change your mind, you can change your whole world. 8pm, closing tonight, Out Front Theatre Company Cultures collide when an American naval officer stationed in Nagasaki decides to take a Japanese wife in the Atlanta Opera’s “Madama Butterfly.” CioCio-San — fifteen years old and in love — dreams of her new life with the handsome young officer. Renouncing her culture and her family to become a proper American wife, she settles into his home overlooking Nagasaki Harbor and waits for his ship to return. Tomer Zvulun directs. 8pm, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6 Taylor Alxndr hosts the Switch Party, a queer dance party and drag show, with new cast members every week. 9:30pm, My Sister’s Room
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7 Trans and Friends is a youth-focused group for trans people, people questioning their own gender and aspiring allies, providing a facilitated space to discuss gender, relevant resources and activism around social issues. 7pm to 8pm for youth and 8pm to 9pm for adults, Charis Books and More
22 BEST BETS CALENDAR NOVEMBER 4, 2022
EVENT SPOTLIGHT SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13 “KURIOS™ – Cabinet of Curiosities” is Cirque du Soleil’s 35th production since 1984. Cabinets of curiosities are the ancestors of museums, also known as cabinet of wonder in the Renaissance Europe. Aristocrats, members of the merchant class, and early practitioners of science formed collections of historical relics, works of art or mysterious travel souvenirs or artefacts. “KURIOS™ – Cabinet of Curiosities” has a cast of 46 artists from 16 different countries. Now running through December 24 under the iconic Big Top at Atlantic Station, with 1:30pm and 5pm performances today (Publicity photo)
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8 Brian Kemp or Stacey Abrams? Rafael Warnock or Herschel Walker? It’s Election Day. Vote! B-12! Bring out your costumes as PALS Atlanta hosts Drag Queen Bingo – Rocky Horror Night. 7:30 p.m., Lips Atlanta
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13 Who knew that when they played their first house dance party in Athens, Georgia in 1976 that they would be still be rocking the house in 2022? As they take their partymusic revolution into the 21st century, the B-52s show no signs of slowing down, serving up their own unique blend of music and showmanship to millions of fans around the world. With special guest KC & The Sunshine Band. 7:30pm, Fox Theatre
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14 Join the OUT Georgia Business
Alliance’s Max OUT (your) Membership virtual orientation session, hosted 11:00am to 11:45am over Zoom. The Max OUT orientation series brings new and renewing members together for a fun session to welcome our new and renewing members, to share how to maximize your OUT Georgia membership, and to network with fellow members and OUT Georgia’s staff, board of directors, and ambassadors, Register at outgeorgia.org/ events/#!event/register/2022/11/14/ max-out-your-membership-orientation
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16 Charis welcomes Liam Kali in conversation with Yemi Combahee to discuss Queer Conception: The Complete Fertility Guide for Queer and Trans Parents-to-Be. The only evidence-based, up-to-date fertility guide for queer people from an experienced health care provider, this is also the first to be transgender-inclusive and body-positive. This virtual event is co-sponsored by Freedom Births Doula Services. 7:30pm to 8:30pm, crowdcast.io/e/
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 Charis welcomes Dr. Alexandra Juhasz, and Theodore Kerr in conversation with Justin C. Smith for a discussion of We Are Having This Conversation Now: The Times of AIDS Cultural Production. We Are Having This Conversation Now offers a history, present, and future of AIDS through thirteen short conversations between Alexandra Juhasz and Theodore Kerr, scholars deeply embedded in HIV responses. This event is co-sponsored by Positive Impact Health Center. Positive Impact Health Center’s mission is to provide client-centered care for the HIV community to have a life worth loving. 7:30pm to 8:30pm virtually, register at crowdcast. io/e/we-are-having-this/register. Get your bear and dance on at Bearracuda Atlanta, featuring the return of the UK’s DJ Wayne G. 10pm to 3am, Heretic Atlanta
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20 The PFLAG support group for parents and families of LGBTQ children meets in person. 2:30pm to 4pm, Spiritual Living Center
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26 Watch college football, including the Georgia Bulldogs taking on Georgia Tech, all day today at Woofs Atlanta.
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THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID MELISSA CARTER
TRANSGENDER TALK Melissa Carter I remember asking my mother when my penis was going to grow. Bless her heart, Millie Pete just nodded and said it wouldn’t because I was a girl. I am not transgender, nor have I ever had a desire to alter my assigned gender in any way, but when exposed to discussion about transgender issues, I reflect upon the time I wanted to be like my Dad and big brother. You see, they got to do cool things outside, like use power tools and ride the big lawnmower in the summer. With their shirts off. I also asked Mom if I too could play outside without my shirt on, and again she just gave a nod and said no because I was a girl. I think what was most important about that situation was not my question, but the answer. My parents were pragmatic people, being very efficient with their emotions until anger struck, and each of them usually gave me a fairly limited response to my questions. In this case I think they handled it well, because they never made me feel wrong in asking. It was a simple no, without inflammatory language or shame for asking such a ridiculous thing. However, I was comfortable in my own skin and was simply becoming aware of the limitations placed upon women and what was expected of us. I could look in the mirror and recognize my own face. That’s the difference from what our transgender family face. I had coffee with friends the other morning, and one was concerned with the new labels for varying gender identification. She said she felt they were simply placing new targets on themselves for ridicule from others. “If I see a girl, I’m going to say girl,” she added.
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PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / MITXERAN
“I don’t understand what’s wrong with that.” A very open and progressive straight woman, she was asking with authentic concern. I responded by explaining that term may trigger a person who doesn’t identify as a woman to feel uncomfortable and even humiliated. As I grow older, I find there is an intense self-reflection on how I’ve lived my life and what I plan to do with the rest of it. Add to that the upcoming 20th anniversary of my kidney transplant, surviving COVID-19 and having a young son, there is a real motivation to live the best life I can moving forward. And that includes not having to understand things to offer my help. For instance, I cannot stand the term “queer.” Yet, our community uses it as an embraced adjective. I’m not sure why, but I also am not one to tell others they can’t use it and support their sense of empowerment. I may not understand what the transgender community has gone through, but that doesn’t matter. I have been and will continue to support and defend their rights to be joyful. There are no stupid questions, only irresponsible people who handle the situation incorrectly. From my mother to my friend at coffee, these questions and conversations should be allowed safe spaces, because that’s where education happens.
NOVEMBER 4, 2022 COLUMNIST 23